Video: Using the 3D tools

The 3D tools in Flash enable you to manipulate artwork in 3D space. Now, this doesn't actually make the artwork three-dimensional. It just gives you a three-dimensional effect, kind of like if you were moving a piece of paper around in 3D space. So it doesn't have actual three-dimensions. So let's take a look at this bridge on the Stage. If I select it, you will see that it's a group, and you don't need to have a group, you can actually start with a Shade if you would like. But I have my grouped bridge here, and then in order to manipulate an object in 3D space, you need to convert it to a movie clip.

In Flash Professional CS5 Essential Training, author Todd Perkins explains the fundamentals of Flash Professional CS5, the industry standard for creating animations and interactive applications for the web, desktop, and mobile devices. This course starts with the basics, such as using the drawing tools to create simple animations, and progresses to automating animation with tweens and adding interactivity with ActionScript. This course also covers how to add sound and video to projects, enhance realism with effects like easing, and publish a project to a variety of platforms. Exercise files are included.

Using the 3D tools

The 3D tools in Flash enable you to manipulate artwork in 3D space.Now, this doesn't actually make the artwork three-dimensional.It just gives you a three-dimensional effect, kind of like if you were moving apiece of paper around in 3D space.So it doesn't have actual three-dimensions.So let's take a look at this bridge on the Stage.If I select it, you will see that it's a group, and you don't need to have agroup, you can actually start with a Shade if you would like.But I have my grouped bridge here, and then in order to manipulate an object in3D space, you need to convert it to a movie clip.

That's something called a symbol.And we will talk about symbols and movie clips in another movie.So to convert this to a symbol, you can go to Modify > Convert to Symbol.Notice that the keyboard shortcut is F8.So for the Type, I am going to choose Movie Clip, and that's all I am going todo for now, and I will click OK.And now I have this movie clip symbol, and when I change it to a movie clip, itwent in front of everything else.So I am actually going to move it back by going to Modify > Arrange > SendBackward, and I am going to use the keyboard shortcut after this to make surethe bridge is behind the girl.

All right, now let's manipulate this object in 3D space.The 3D tools are in the toolbar right below the Free Transform tool, and there'sthe 3D Translation tool and the 3D Rotation tool.So I will use the 3D Rotation tool first.So with the 3D Rotation tool, you have the different axis.There is the X, Y, and Z Axis.So the Y-Axis is up and down, the X-Axis is left and right, and the Z-Axis goesinto and out of your screen.So closer and further back.

So the way that we rotate this is the Y -Axis is actually the horizontal linehere, so it's the green one, and you can remember which one represents whichaxis, because X, Y, Z corresponds to RGB.So Red, Green, Blue, X, Y, Z. Red is the X-Axis, Green is the Y-Axis, andBlue is the Z-Axis.So if I click and drag on the X-Axis, you will see that the object rotatesaround the horizontal plane.I am actually moving my mouse in a circular motion to rotate it.

Now, I am going to undo that change and we will rotate along the Y-Axis this time.So I am going to click and drag on that green line that represents the Y-Axisand it's going to rotate around the Y-Axis.Again, I am moving my mouse in a circular motion to get the rotation.I will undo that change.And the Z-Axis basically gives you regular rotation.So this is the same kind of rotation you would get with the Free Transform tool.And you will notice the outer orange circle actually works with all of theaxis at the same time.

So I can click and drag that one and I can move the bridge, like so, and I haverotated the bridge to give a Perspective View.Another tool is the 3D Translation tool.So I will select that in the Properties panel.This allows you to move an object in 3D space.So I can move it along the X-Axis, that's the red arrow, on the Y-Axis, that'sthe green arrow, and on the Z-Axis, which is the blue arrow.So I can click and drag to move it forward and back. I will undo.

And one more thing you need to know about the 3D tool so that you can adjustyour 3D settings in the Properties panel.So if you have a 3D object selected, it has to be a movie clip, you canexpand the 3D Position And View settings in the Properties panel to adjust the 3D Position.Now, of course there's X, Y, and Z Positioning, Width and Height.And then you have the Camera Angle.This is the Perspective angle.And so if I click and drag this setting, I can move where the "Camera" is.Again, this is not real 3D.

This is Flash mimicked 3D.And then finally, I can adjust the Vanishing point.So I can click and drag the X and Y Positions to adjust the Vanishing point,put it wherever I want.I will leave it right there.And then I can click the Reset button to reset the Vanishing point tothe original setting.So using the 3D tools in Flash, you can move and rotate objects in 3D space.

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